Orb prevails over Violence coming to the wire in the Grade II Fountain of Youth. Violence is now out of the Derby picture with a right ankle fracture.

With an upset and an injury, the Kentucky Derby season indeed is in full swing.

The biggest upset, of course, was 135-1 shot Ive Struck a Nerve nosing out Code West in Saturday's $400,000 Risen Star Stakes in New Orleans.

The season's first major injury to a major contender happened a half-hour earlier in Gulfstream's $400,000 Fountain of Youth, where Orb chased down the gritty favorite Violence to win by a half-length. The next day Violence was discovered to have a sesamoid fracture, an injury that knocks him out of the Triple Crown and jeopardizes his racing career.

No one will shed tears for trainer Todd Pletcher for losing Violence, who was the top-ranked horse in The Courier-Journal's Original Kentucky Derby poll (courier-journal.com/Derbypoll). He still has four others in the top 10, including second-ranked Verrazano.

Stock rising

No matter what they do in their next race, Orb and Ive Struck a Nerve are virtually assured of being in the Derby if their connections so chose. For Ive Struck a Nerve, that seems pretty definite.

"I called my wife and told her to get fitted for a Derby hat," owner Matt Bryan said after the race.

Orb could be Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey's first Derby starter since Saarland was 10th in 2002.

Orb's next start will be either the Florida Derby or the Wood Memorial, with McGaughey believing the 11/8 miles will only help his colt.

"A lot of things went against him the other day: the 1 post going a mile and a sixteenth, cutting back (in distance), they had the track sped up," he said. "The Davona Dale winner led all the way, which concerned me. I know we got a really good pace, but he was able to close into it. Which a lot of times at Gulfstream, you can't close into it."

Stock falling

Normandy Invasion broke slowly, then stumbled and was 10th with three-sixteenths of a mile to go. Normandy Invasion, ridden in the Risen Star by Jose Lezcano, made a huge late run but received no points for his effort. With only four points from his Remsen second, he probably needs to be at least second in his remaining Derby prep: the Wood Memorial.

Owner Rick Porter said Normandy Invasion will have a new rider, yet to be determined.

He's Had Enough, a close second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, finished fifth in the Fountain of Youth, losing by 10 lengths. His best finish in three post-Juvenile starts was third in the four-horse Bob Lewis.